Anticipated pop, indie rock follow-ups, Kanye West supply drops

On the heels of countless outdoor concerts and festivals, summer is a great time for artists to release new music. While many artists may announce and release albums within a matter of days and other artists may tease new music without a certain release date for months, there are a number of albums we can expect before summer’s end.

Alternative artist Courtney Barnett’s debut studio album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. Barnett followed it up this past Friday with Tell Me How You Really Feel, which also received positive reviews.

Today, two other alternative artists released their own follow-ups: CHVRCHES with Love Is Dead and Weezer with The Black Album. Alternative folk artist Father John Misty’s latest album, God’s Favorite Customer, will release next week, just one year after his Grammy-nominated Pure Comedy.

Also in June, Kanye West will supposedly release not one, but two new albums: a seven-track solo album on June 1 and a collaborative effort with Kid Cudi titled Kids See Ghost. Following West’s latest controversies as he claims to be advocating for free thinking and love, he has arguably become the most talked about musician with new music releasing this summer.

West also tweeted release dates for numerous artists’ albums he claimed to have hand-produced, including Pusha T — whose Daytona record came out today — Nas for June 15 and Teyana Taylor for June 22.

Outside of West, hip-hop will also see Nicki Minaj releasing Queen on June 15. Hip-hop collective BROCKHAMPTON announced their fourth studio album Puppywith the help of Jaden Smith, while member Kevin Abstract said that the album would be released this June.

To round out next month, talented saxophonist Kamasi Washington and Panic! At the Disco have Heaven and Earth and Pray For the Wicked, respectively, out on June 22, and Florence + The Machine’s latest, High As Hope, will release on June 29.

Many other albums have either been confirmed or speculated to release this summer with varying levels of certainty. Pop star Ariana Grande confirmed her latest album Sweetenerwill be coming this summer.

Vampire Weekend are listed to perform at Lollapalooza and various other festivals this summer, so new music may be preceding these dates — they haven’t released an album since 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City.

While Frank Ocean is notorious for giving fans no clear path to new music, he posted a cryptic message on his Tumblr page, teasing he had an album up his sleeve.

Only time will tell who puts out music and when, but with this strong collection of artists already confirming new records for the near future, summer 2018 is sure to bring a plethora of fresh tunes.